In recent years, an energy absorber which absorbs impact energy in an automotive collision, so as to secure the safety of an occupant has been provided in an auto body panel, inside an interior member of an automobile and the like.
There has been proposed in JP H10-250514A an energy-absorbing structure having a base plate and a plurality of hollow cylindrical tubes formed integrally therewith and vertically projecting therefrom. In this energy-absorbing structure, when the energy-absorbing structure is overloaded, the tubes elastically or plastically deform or elastically and plastically deform, so as to absorb energy. Consequently, the impact to an occupant can be reduced.
There has been also proposed in JP H07-52735A an energy-absorbing structure in which ribs are connected to outer circumferential portions of a plurality of hollow bosses (tubes) projecting from a base plate. In this energy-absorbing structure, the energy-absorbing amount at the time of a collision is increased by providing the bosses and the ribs.